I found the Game of School reading interesting. Most of my professional experience is within the private sector, and one of the reasons I think that I enjoy working in such schools is because the game is overall different. Obviously each school is unique, but I agreed with the article in that overall playing the game of school drastically deteriorates education. I have seen different versions of the example of the Winnee the Pooh book in my own work. When students are assigned a reading for a grade they take short-cuts, figure out "what the teacher wants," and complete the assignment with limited learning. However, when I have given students readings for their own pleasure on a topic of interest, they will spend much more time and energy understanding the information. I work with high school students, and from my experience they are eager to understand the world around them, but unfortunately they often fear showing it. The Game of School encourages students to take short-cuts and play the game rather than focusing on understanding.
As a child I remember this vividly. My educational background, as you will all learn, was very mixed and in many ways led me to teaching. I began at a Montessori School where I was surrounded by children who loved learning. When I graduated in 2nd grade, I cautiously entered the 3rd grade at my public school. One of my first days I was made fun of for doing my homework and quickly learned to hide my curiosity and desire for knowledge. I attended other schools, returned to my public school, and then finished high school at a boarding school in Maine. The Game was different there. It was no longer cool to skip classes or badmouth the teacher. This Game was more fun. This Game meant studying as hard as I could because understanding complex ideas was popular. This Game meant spending time talking to teachers at lunch about readings. This Game was what school should be. It was liberating and it was wonderful. When I would come back to RI for vacation I would carefully hide this part of me for my friends at home. I talked about basketball and other socially acceptable elements of my life. Even in high school I could see how unfair this was- not everyone can get a scholarship to a New England Prep School. But how do you switch the culture of education when it is so deeply engrained in every level from students to teacher to superintendent?
As a child I remember this vividly. My educational background, as you will all learn, was very mixed and in many ways led me to teaching. I began at a Montessori School where I was surrounded by children who loved learning. When I graduated in 2nd grade, I cautiously entered the 3rd grade at my public school. One of my first days I was made fun of for doing my homework and quickly learned to hide my curiosity and desire for knowledge. I attended other schools, returned to my public school, and then finished high school at a boarding school in Maine. The Game was different there. It was no longer cool to skip classes or badmouth the teacher. This Game was more fun. This Game meant studying as hard as I could because understanding complex ideas was popular. This Game meant spending time talking to teachers at lunch about readings. This Game was what school should be. It was liberating and it was wonderful. When I would come back to RI for vacation I would carefully hide this part of me for my friends at home. I talked about basketball and other socially acceptable elements of my life. Even in high school I could see how unfair this was- not everyone can get a scholarship to a New England Prep School. But how do you switch the culture of education when it is so deeply engrained in every level from students to teacher to superintendent?